BC NDP has a 5-point plan for Surrey, more of the old ideas

BC NDP presented their so-called 5-point plan aimed to resolve problems in Surrey following murder of Julie Paskall in Newton two weeks ago. This plan which was presented by Adrian Dix and several of his local MLA’a is focused on almost all points which are key issues in Surrey over the years. First things which comes to attention when you look at the media reports are that Dix and Co. accused BC Liberals for non-action over the last 10 years, also they said that implementation would not require rising taxes because all levels of government will be part of it.

Plan with many known ideas

New Democrats plan contains believe it or not all already known proposals and ideas so many times recycled that even original creator of those couldn’t remember when was first time he or she use it. They’re asking for more policing, community court, regulation of recovery houses, mental health action plan and more investing in non-profit and supportive housing. Incumbent Mayor and Council asked for more policing for years and we all know they will not got it because leading politicians in BC and the country are not keen to endanger budget deficit reduction to give more police to Surrey. During the last municipal elections and between that Mayor Dianne Watts and several of her colleagues on Council asked already for creation of community court but those calls fell flat because as we know provincial government has priorities somewhere else. Clearly those are the problems but they will not see resolution for a long long time and for sure not when NDP calls for their implementation. Millions of dollars are needed for both of these ideas and clearly Surrey always gets less or even far less than for what it asks. Other three elements regarding recovery homes, mental health and non-profit housing could see some moves, but nothing much to change overall situation in extreme way or at least to make it appropriate. Nothing new, nothing special.

Clear aim at municipal and federal elections

Plan proposed by BC NDP comes in a year of municipal elections , and a year ahead of federal elections. In both NDP and it’s BC fraction want to make good results, probably to place at least one of their sympathizers on City of Surrey Council where at the moment Mayor Watts’s Surrey First doesn’t have opposition. It is highly symptomatic that BC NDP didn’t reacted during the last year or so in which Surrey had a record number of murders since 2005, probably because last year was not election year.

“The current conditions and oversight of recovery houses are absolutely unacceptable. Recovery houses were deregulated under the Liberals during the first core review of 2002 and the results have been unsavoury operators opening homes, preying on the vulnerable and creating havoc in our neighbourhoods”, said local MLA Sue Hammell.

This sounds like good old fight between GOP and DNC regarding regulation and deregulation of Wall Street, everybody tries to prove other wrong and other responsible for not doing anything over the last decade or so. Question is where MLA Hammell have been for the last year or so to say something about this issue?

Soon they will organize public forums all over the city to promote this plan ahead of upcoming Legislature session in which they’re hoping Premier Clark and her government would accept it. Public forums are very welcomed in Surrey, as much as RCMP public houses and City organized Town Halls, but if they are organized by only one party they will only be used to promote that party. Surrey and it’s current situation should not be used as arena for cheap political points.